Squats – How to perfect them!

02 Apr Squats – How to perfect them!

We all know that squats are good for your health, typically the first exercise we go for when we think “let’s get back into exercise” 

We all hear how much celebrities rave about them. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with such enthusiasm, once said, “I do squats until I fall over and pass out.”

While we do not recommend going that that far, squats are an integral and versatile exercise which should absolutely be implemented into your routine. It works to strengthen, increase mobility, improve balance and improve cardiovascular health. They can be high or low impact, making them ideal for every age and exercise level. 

Squats are undoubtedly an incredibly effective compound exercise to build strength and burn calories, but also play a vital role in making day-to-day activities such as standing from a chair, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of a car easier. 

As children, we squat with ease — we are able to balance on our feet, back straight, backside lowered towards the floor — but with age we learn to bend over to reach the ground instead. Add sedentary lifestyles and squats can become significantly harder by middle age.

The decline isn’t inevitable!! There are 90 year olds that complete squats as part of their weekly routine and you can see the difference. They are able to sit down easier and manage household chores with minimal limitation. One clear indicator on whether people practice squats is how people sit from standing. Those who practice are able to slowly control the way down rather than flopping down. 

So what’s the best way to start? Here’s everything you need to know.

How do I get going?

First, warm up with simple marching on the spot for two minutes and doing some leg swings to warm up the hip joints

Setting up for the squats – Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides or clasped in front of your chest, toes pointing out slightly. Focusing your weight on your heels, lower your bum as far as you can, stopping when your thighs are parallel to the floor. As if you’re about to sit down, even trial with a chair behind you to start. You want to maintain a high chest (we tend to lean forward a lot) and back straight.  Breath in as you lower, out as you return. “Don’t worry if you can only lower yourself halfway at first — your strength and mobility will improve!

What muscles am I working?

Squatting targets the quadriceps (front of the thighs), hamstrings (back of the thighs), calves, glutes (buttocks) and hip flexors in the upper thigh. The movement also works our core muscles – which we all know are very important! 

How do I avoid injury?

• Avoid rounding the shoulders to minimize load through the lower back. 
• Keep your abdominals engaged and tight  to support your back 
• look straight ahead, rather than down – this ensures a neutral spine is maintained. 
• Make sure your knees don’t go beyond your toes or drift towards each other as you squat.
• If you feel any pain, stop.

How many do I really have to do?

For beginners, start with two sets of ten, with a 20-second break in between and try adding an additional set of ten every few days.

Squats are easy. How can I up the ante?

Positioning your legs a couple of inches wider will work your inner thigh muscles more, you can even incorporate a Swiss ball in your squat! Try putting the ball against a wall and stand with your back against the ball and feet stepped out. As you lower towards the floor the ball will roll with you. We tend to try to lean forward when we squat, but the ball forces you to  keep your back completely straight, isolating the leg muscles, making it more difficult.

Still not hard enough?

Try Incorporating weights! Use either dumbbells, barbells or one singular dumbbell. You can trial wide feet positioning or narrow, each will target different areas of the legs. When using weights, it’s important to prioritise core engagement – as this is what will stabilise your back and prevent injury. If you notice your core stops activating and you feel loading in your back with a certain weight, reduce it and strengthen with a lower weight. 

Alternatively, you can use bands to help increase the difficulty. Either wrap them around your knees to challenge the side of the glutes more or if a long band is on hand, wrap it under both feet and over the shoulders or held in the hands- this will increase the resistance as you rise from the squat making it harder for your legs. 

How many squats should I do with weights?

It depends on what you’re hoping to achieve. 

If the goal is muscle growth aim for fewer reps and a higher load – 3×8-10 repetitions. Ensure sufficient recovery time between strengthening to ensure you get the gains from your hard work! 

If the goal is increased endurance aim for higher reps between 15 to 20 repetitions three times. 

What are split squats?

For increased balance and “accelerated strength”, split squats otherwise known as lunges, a form of unilateral training where one leg works harder than the other, are a great way of evening out muscles – not allowing the strongest side to take over! 

Start with feet pointing forward, hip-width apart, arms by your sides. Step forward with your right foot and bend both legs to a 90-degree angle and your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Squeeze your buttocks as you return to the starting position. To increase the challenge, try holding a 10kg weight in each hand, and repeat on the other side.

And the killer version?

Bulgarian split squats are the ‘killer version’. They are essentially a lunge, with the back foot raised on a chair or bench. This is not only going to increase the work of the front leg, but also challenge stability and balance. When setting up, sit on the chair or bench and straighten out the right leg to stand up, lift the left ankle onto the edge or the chair or bench behind you. From here, complete the lunge movement of bending the front leg until the thigh is parallel to the floor while maintaining a lifted chest and looking straight ahead. Pushing through the front heel to return. 

How can I make squats high impact?

With squat jumps — a plyometric movement that requires the rapid expansion of a muscle, using speed and force. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out. Squat as low as you can with elbows bent, hands in front of your chest. Jump up as high as you can, pushing your arms down. Return to the start position. Ensure the knees stay over the toes and do not drift inwards as you land. Start with only ten and slowly progress. You’re not only improving athleticism and agility but also bone density which is highly important as we age.